Urban Redevelopment in Toumba, Thessaloniki – Implementation of a Sustainable Urban Transformation Strategy

The study area is a densely built-up zone covering a total area of 85,000 sq.m, where both the appearance and functionality of sidewalks along the streets are significantly degraded. There are serious accessibility issues, and open green spaces are completely absent.

The objective of the study was the design and redevelopment of the streets and sidewalks in the area, ensuring compliance with standards for the comfortable passage of pedestrians and vehicles, promoting pedestrian safety, and achieving overall functional, environmental, and aesthetic enhancement of the area.

Approach

The project aims to achieve a comprehensive upgrade of the area through the redesign and reconstruction of sidewalks, ensuring sufficient pedestrian circulation space, organizing vehicle parking, optimizing traffic flow, improving accessibility conditions, establishing and marking a functional network of routes, enhancing the safety of road users, implementing new plantings, and installing new urban equipment. Additionally, the project includes the redevelopment of a pedestrian walkway and two inactive open spaces, transforming them into green areas for recreation and social interaction.

A key objective was the application of the principles of sustainable urban mobility. The project follows the Superblocks model, a strategy for sustainable urban transformation that aims to create pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. This innovative urban design concept seeks to improve residents' quality of life by reducing vehicle traffic and redefining public space. Under this planning framework, a primary vehicular traffic network is established, while internal areas are converted into low-traffic "neighborhood zones."

Furthermore, the approach focused on implementing principles of environmental design by increasing green spaces, reducing asphalt surfaces, and extensively applying cool paving materials. These interventions improve the microclimate and ensure thermal comfort for pedestrians. The environmental design process was guided by specialized computational simulation tools that assessed surface temperature changes and provided a detailed simulation of thermal comfort across the study area.

Environmental design is applied in conjunction with sustainable urban mobility principles, as the Superblocks model and the associated urban transformation involve reducing asphalt surfaces, applying new environmentally friendly pavements, and enhancing green spaces.

Benefits

The project significantly increases the livable space for pedestrians, creating a pedestrian-centered neighborhood. The new public spaces and green areas contribute to enhancing residents' quality of life, improving safety and thermal comfort conditions, ensuring seamless pedestrian and wheelchair accessibility, introducing new open public spaces, and promoting the overall use of public space.